Rocco Castellano

What do earthworms and the human digestive system have in common? They both use something called peristalsis to keep things moving. This is an involuntary contraction and relaxation of the muscles. Earthworms use it to move forward. Our digestive system uses it to move food from the mouth, down the esophagus and all the way out at the other end. Everybody poops, and we have peristalsis to thank for that.

Without this involuntary movement, the food that we eat would not be able to move through our digestive system. Similarly, the liquids in our body would not make it from one place to the other. These involuntary contractions and relaxations occur in the lining of the intestines. They also happen in the organ that links the kidney and the bladder. Peristalsis is our body’s intuitive way of getting seemingly simple yet very important things done. In addition to moving waste, it also moves the urine from the kidney to the bladder. And bile from the gallbladder to the duodenum.

All of this is done with a handy tool called the peristaltic pump. This mechanism is so efficient that engineers have copied its function for use in various machines. The digestive system starts using its peristaltic pump from the moment you swallow. (If you thought gravity was responsible for moving food town your throat, you were quite mistaken.) Peristalsis works food down the esophagus, delivering it to the stomach. The stomach then pushes the food into the small intestine for digestion. During this phase, the small intestine removes gas from the digestive system in order to avoid buildup. You might feel the peristaltic pump working at this stage.

Next, the food is pushed into the large intestine. The large intestine contracts and relaxes so that the waste—or fecal matter—is moved to the rectum. The fecal matter is stored there until enough of it builds up that one last peristaltic hurrah gives you the urge to poop and move the waste out of your body.

In Short

This is one of the main functions of peristalsis: its importance in digestion and getting rid of waste. With this newfound knowledge, it’s easy to see how problems with these involuntary contractions manifest as problems each reader has undoubtedly experienced at one point or another. For instance, if the contractions occur too quickly, then the digestive system has no time to absorb the water from the waste. The result? Diarrhea.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, if the colon cramps this can prevent peristalsis from working effectively. In this case, the waste sits and the digestive system absorbs too much water, leading to constipation. Some studies have shown that caffeine, alcohol and tobacco consumption contribute to messed up peristalsis. Fast-moving contractions can also occur in those with excessive nerve endings in their intestines, leading to sensitivity to certain foods. In order to maintain healthy peristalsis, it helps to eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables as well as natural probiotics. As long as you’re feeding it well, your body will take care of the rest. It knows what it’s doing.

Some people assume that healthy food is more expensive. In reality, eating healthy on a budget is entirely feasible. It just takes a little planning and foresight to get started. One of the biggest things that gets in the way of people eating healthy is lack of time and planning. It’s mid-work week, you just got off work, you’re starving and you have no groceries. Lots of folks are tempted to eat out—it’s convenient and there’s no cleanup. But many restaurant meals are filled with trash you shouldn’t be putting in your body—empty calories, additives and preservatives. Plus, dining out adds up—way more than healthy eating does!

You know how Europeans are thinner than Americans? Well, that’s got a whole lot to do with their eating patterns. For one thing, Europeans tend to do their grocery shopping differently. The average American family does their shopping in bulk. They head to their local grocery to load up on a cart-full of frozen meals, salty snacks, sodas, breakfast pastries and anything else they anticipate needing in the next couple of weeks. The average European, however, buys what they need a few days at a time.

Daily trips to the store may not be in your time budget, but finding a balance between these two methods is an excellent idea. Get in the habit of making one efficient trip to the grocery store for each week. How do you make the most of this trip? To start with, plan your meals. There are many resources online for inexpensive recipes that will guide you in eating healthy on a budget. Decide what you want for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks that week. Pay attention to what different food items cost and learn to get creative with those that are cheaper. Eggs, beans, seeds, cheaper cuts of meat, and frozen vegetables are great ways to get lots of nutrients for less money.

Make room for leftovers in your plan. Preparing six servings of grilled chicken and vegetables might cost the same amount as preparing four. Eating healthy on a budget is also about reducing waste and getting the most out of your dollar. One night’s dinner can be another day’s lunch.

When you’re ready to go to the grocery store, eat first. The old tale about hungry grocery shopping causing impulse buys? It’s true. Some studies suggest that listening to your own music or book on tape while shopping will also help prevent impulse buys. The idea is that this will keep you in your own world, with your own grocery list, instead of allowing you to be distracted by colorful displays of Vanilla Wafers at the end of an aisle.

While at the store, stick to your list. Most of the items you need for the food you’re planning to prepare should be on the perimeter of the store. This includes fruits, vegetables, herbs, meat, dairy and breads. These are the foods that make eating healthy on a budget possible. Most of what fills the aisle in the center of the store are processed foods which, yes, are already prepared to some degree. It’s true that you will have to put in the extra work for your budgeted and healthy meals. But, the money you save will be worth it. Plus, unlike eating at a restaurant, you will know exactly what’s going in to your food.

Now, this is not to say that eating out from time to time is wrong. I love going to restaurants—especially locally owned ones—a few of the good chefs prepare meals that are wholesome, healthy and delicious. Call ahead to ask or checkout their website to see what’s on their menu. It’s good to indulge from time to time. But that $26 salmon? I bet you could make it for $5. Just sayin’.

Symptoms of vitamin D deficiency is sometimes easy to find. There’s a reason why parents, teachers and other guardians would always send you outside to play. For one, before there were distractions inside, outside was way more interesting. (Sadly, today things like iPhones, Netflix and video games really take their toll on the treehouse scene.)

For another, they knew it was good for you. (It’s true, your parents were right about something!) That’s the real bitch about the distractions that might keep kids indoors today. The less time kids and adults spend outside, the more prevalent vitamin D deficiency becomes.

Some people are especially prone to vitamin D deficiency and should definitely make an effort to get more sun. Folks over 50, for instance, will have a harder time processing the vitamin because their kidneys may not work as efficiently as they used to. The kidneys, along with the liver, are responsible for activating vitamin D. People with a body mass index over 30 are also at risks, as vitamin D is fat soluble. Too many fat cells will absorb the vitamin and keep it from getting to the blood. If you fall into either of these categories, make a special point to get outside more often.

Get More Sun

Yes, the sunshine vitamin can be obtained through some dietary options. Fortified milk, beef liver, egg yolks and fatty fish like salmon or tuna all contain some levels of vitamin D. But, ask any creature of the night (or consult an educated article such as this one, if you don’t know any vampires), and they’ll tell you that dietary intake of vitamin D won’t cut it. This essential vitamin is best received through exposing the skin to sunlight. If you’re a habitually indoor person, try taking a 20 minute walk outside each day and observe the difference. A little extra sun may help eliminate any of the following common symptoms of vitamin D deficiency.

Top 3 on the list are:

Depression Vitamin D regulates adrenaline, dopamine and serotonin. Dopamine controls the brain’s rewards and pleasure centers while serotonin maintains mood balance. Low levels of either of these is known to cause poor moods. Thus, a lack of sunlight is associated with a higher risk of depression. This helps to explain the winter blues, clinically known as seasonal affective disorder.

Weak or aching bones and muscles Vitamin D helps the body to absorb other necessary minerals like calcium, iron, magnesium, zinc and phosphate. Hence all of the vitamin D fortified milks and dairy products out there. If you can’t absorb it, what good is the calcium? People who are vitamin D deficient are more likely to fracture bones.

Fatigue Having excessively low vitamin D may also lead to unexplained fatigue or a foggy mental state. A ten minute jaunt outside during your lunch break can make a huge difference in your work during the afternoon!

These are the biggest indicators when it comes to detecting symptoms of vitamin D deficiency. But, the best way to find whether you need more vitamin D is to get tested by a professional. However, in the end, you’ve got nothing to lose and everything to gain by heading outside more often. Check out eating healthy on a budget isn’t impossible here.

It’s amazing the questions I get asked. For years I have received questions asking me how female clients could get an ass like (insert celebrity with a great ass)’s ass. J-Lo, Beyoncé and Nicki Minaj come to mind. Now ever since Kim Kardashian decided to show the world nothing’s private when it comes to her body, I get calls and emails from no-assed women who think I can turn into David Copperfield, wave my magic wand … and poof … I can give them a Kim Kardashian ass!

First: It’s definitely not that easy. Second: You probably don’t have the genetics.

I have some advice to many of the “white” women out there, unless you have some Armenian, Italian, Latino or African blood flowing through your veins, it’s going to be hard to instantly get an ass like J-Lo, Beyoncé, Nicki Minaj or Kim Kardashian. But for all you women out there not blessed with these genetics, I’ll do my best to help you out and give you the very best ass you can have on your body.

The average American woman has a “fat” ass. Basically a skin sack, full of fat. This means it moves wide instead of up and out. It sucks, but that’s the way it is. Now you don’t have to live with that. For nearly 10 years, I trained all the Miss Ohio USA and Miss Michigan USA women and, for a couple of years, Miss Maine USA and Miss Georgia USA to get ready for the big show on NBC… Miss USA

One of the biggest challenges I had was to give some of these very “white,” midwestern women- symmetry. All of them had awesome figures, but their bottoms didn’t match their tops. All women, whether you’re in a beauty pageant, walking into a club or have 3 kids hanging from you like you’re a set of monkey bars, should always have symmetry.

It’s literally the most overlooked aspect so-called personal trainers miss when training women clients. I see so many trainers trying to get women to lose weight when they should be helping them build out their bodies. Stupid is as stupid does.

But let’s get back to a Kim Kardashian ass. Well, not really, but I just like writing “Kim Kardashian ass.”

Like I said, the main challenge is genetics, and most American women just don’t have them. It’s OK – don’t cry. All is not lost. You can replace the big sack of fat with something better, so you don’t have to go through your closet trying on five hundred pairs of jeans, asking your significant other if you look fat in them. Just know you do and shut up. Your relationship will be much better for it.

Now there’s some warning I have to give you before you read any further. Once you get a great ass, it’s a lot of work to keep it up. Hence, “every woman wants Kim Kardashian’s ass … hmmm.”

If you’re not into hard work, quit reading and go have a donut. Once you have an ass to be admired by all, you have to promise me you will keep it up. Again, if you’re not willing, go eat a cheesy brat and shut up. Now that I have thinned the herd a bit and increased the sales of donuts and cheesy brats, let’s get down to business and produce the ass you could rest a beer can on.

Before we start, there’s some science, or pseudo-science, you need to know before you jump in … literally.

As I said earlier, your ass is most likely a skin sack, full of fat, cellulite popping out all over, and you are afraid to take your clothes off. That’s fine … but it’s the skin sack I’m concerned with. Your ass, if built properly, is supposed to be muscle, that’s all.

There are three parts to it, and they all have different functions. Yes, your ass, besides looking awesome and turning the opposite sex on, is supposed to actually do stuff or have functionality. Like I said, there are three parts: the Gluteus Minimus, the Gluteus Medius and the Gluteus Maximus. It’s funny because most women, if they took sixth-grade science, would know what the know the Gluteus Maximus is, and maybe their asses wouldn’t look like 2-by-12 boards were stuck down their pants. Now the little known Minimus and Medius are the very important muscles that give you that shelf-like appearance, and help by taking away your “breeder hips.”

You need to fill that “skin sack” with as much muscle as you can, and there are very specific exercises you have to do in a specific order to build that ass of champions.

OK, maybe I need to calm down a little. If you opt-in below I will give you my “Insane Ass Builder Workout” for free.

Here are the basics to a Kim Kardashian Ass:

One set of Mountain Climbers for 60 seconds

a set of Fire Hydrants on the left leg for 60 seconds.

Without resting, complete a set of Donkey Kicks for 60 seconds on the same leg, leg circles for 30 seconds one way and then 30 seconds the opposite way.

Now switch to the right leg and do all the exercises I just told you to do.

When finished, lunges for 60 seconds on each leg. (Do not alternate, that’s for wusses).

For the finishing touches, an exercise I have been credited with inventing: Hip Splits for 120 seconds.

Now for most of you in the real world, you most likely won’t know what the hell I’m talking about… so watch the video.

Do you remember last years egg recall? Shit, I do. Me and my wife headed down to Southern California to pick up our Oranges in Valencia. Normally I’m on top of everything food but this time I had been under a little bit of stress and I just wanted to get to Valencia and be back with my oranges, lemons, bison, honey and eggs… when I suddenly remembered nearly 400 million eggs were being pulled off shelves due to mass outbreaks of salmonella poisoning.

Nothing is more frightening in my world when I look down at my iPhone to read that the restaurant that my wife and I adored was all over the news being linked to 15 cases of salmonella poisoning. I think I shit myself… when I heard the news. Then it hit me and my wife… and I almost did. Talk about art imitating life. Well… I’m so glad the dogs had no part of my 6 egg omelette. I don’t think I realized how important your sphincter muscle was until I couldn’t control it. Holy Shit! Literally… and I really think God was screwing with me…

Beyond the obvious inconvenience of all bodily fluids making a mad dash for the nearest exits all at once, I heard that people were being hospitalized for days, sometimes weeks and we were many miles from home. A very funny reality hit me… I never travel without my OxyX. Before I decided to launch this product I had carried it and tested it for almost a year. Every time I got into some type of food borne trouble I was always saved. My OxyX was a bunch of drops (actually 15) a way from making sure I wasn’t another casualty of the egg recall.

I made a mixture with the 2% Sodium Chlorite solution, usually it’s 15 drops in 16oz of water or similar liquid. Remarkably, within 20 minutes I experienced a short break from the vomiting and diarrhea. Less than six hours later, the chaos was over.

If you do any research at all on the topic of a small dose of sodium chlorite, you’re in for a big dose of cyber drama. I love the internet. So what can be agreed upon?

Let’s start with the basics. Sodium chlorite is chemically known as NaCl02. It’s been used as a disinfectant for years, in hospitals, as a water purifier and by the food industry to remove harmful microorganisms from our meats, poultry, fish, fruits and veggies. It works as an oxidant, or electron acceptor, which just means it steals an essential electron from pathogens like viruses and parasites, thereby destroying the harmful organism. Very high concentrations, around 80% would be fatal and are only used for industrial purposes. Very low concentrations, around 5% and below, as is found in many mouthwashes can actually be beneficial. People who believe that sodium chlorite can be a beneficial part of their wellness program use it both topically and internally.

Something that seems quite clear to me is that many articles are authored by the haves and have nots. Those who have used sodium chlorite in some capacity and those who will not.

As a believer, I admit, I keep a bottle of OxyX upstairs and downstairs in my home. I also have one for my car and I always bring a bottle on all my camping trips. Don’t worry, it’s a much diluted solution – just 2% in purified water – and no explosions or flesh eating accidents have ever occurred. I promise.

I dilute the 2% Sodium Chlorite solution in water for everything from heartburn to nausea, I gargle it for sore throats or toothaches, and I spray it on bug bites and sunburns. I’ve used it to remove a weird wart on my knee and watched it make a skin tab vanish by applying topically once or twice a day for about a week. I’ve also had the uninvited pleasure of using the solution to battle a very bad batch of shrimp. If you’ve ever experienced food poisoning or salmonella you know how scary it is when that first wave of sick, kicks in. I’m happy to know I now have something that kicks back.

And why do I take it camping? To purify my water? Nay. I take it because no camping trip seems complete without at least once setting myself on fire (inadvertently) or grabbing the hot chili pot without a mitt. Either way, a good second degree burn is pretty much a sure thing. It’s also incredibly painful. For any unbelievers out there, nothing will change minds more or faster than this pain disappearing instantly and completely when treated with this solution. My burns heal faster and with less scaring than ever before.

So that’s it. Sodium Chlorite solution will have its foes and friends forever. All I know is if you’re reading this, you’re curious. You’ve likely already dosed yourself with the colorful bloviations on both sides and are still looking for some solid answer about all this. I don’t have one for you. I can only offer my solid opinion. So here it is: I love it. I use it in a 5% solution called OxyX and take every opportunity I have to spread the word and share it with everyone.

When people hear the term GMO I’m not sure they really know what an actual GMO is. For years a certain segment of the population has been on a terror streak to stop what they call “Frankenfood”. For the most part, I’m with them when it comes to genetically modifying foods to resist pesticides or modifying a fruit or vegetable for longer shelf life but we have been genetically modifying food ever since Ancient times. Almost all the fruits and vegetables that make up your natural diet and in the produce section of your local supermarket are pretty much “man-made” or genetically modified to produce a certain fruit or vegetable.

The biggest distinction between man made food and GMO’s is that scientists usually mess with the DNA of a particular plant, introducing characteristics and traits through controversial techniques such as using a viral carrier to change the structure of the DNA. Basically they use a virus to infest the food and replicate the trait with in it’s DNA. Another technique is using a bacteria carrier to infiltrate the food and attach the new DNA characteristic to the food. With the onset and discovery of DNA technology science has found a way to speed up the process of changing the DNA within food. I personally don’t like the unknown… but if DNA didn’t change or wasn’t mixed up every once in a while we wouldn’t have some awesome looking people and fun and tasty foods.

Now there is a huge debate about manmade and GMO… whether the DNA being changed through breeding (cultivation) or through a petrie dish is an argument for the ages. Through the means of cross pollination and grafting we have been able to change the DNA of some “wild” plants put together some really cool fruits and veggies that have been nourishing us for many centuries. Here are just some of them:

Broccoli is the result of specific selective breeding and was cultivated by Italian farmers way back in the 6th century BC… yep, nearly 1000 years ago. Broccoli was named for the Italian word Broccolo that described the flowering tops of the wild cabbage. Kale, cauliflower, brussel sprouts and collard greens all come from some hybridization of the wild cabbage. None of these vegetables are found in the wild… so when vegetarians tell me that they are only things that come from nature, I usually tell them to shut the fuck up.

All the varieties of lettuce actually come from one plant called “wild lettuce” or Lactuca virosa that is known for it’s narcotic qualities. Yes, you can eat it or smoke it and get high. Not iceberg lettuce, wild lettuce… idiot. If you walk around eastern England, Pakistan, India or Australia you may see some in the wild. There has been some introduction to the United States in states like California, Alabama, Iowa and who would have guessed this… Washington, D.C.. Now that explains a lot.

Carrots look, taste and feel very different to it’s wild ancestors. The first carrots as root vegetables were cultivated in Afghanistan about 1100 years ago, but there is evidence that they may have grown as far back as 5000 years. These carrots were nothing like the straight orange colored ones with greens growing out the top. Ancient carrots where very thin, white or purple and tasted more bitter than sweet. It wasn’t until the 16th century when some Dutch botanists turned the purple carrot into the bright orange carrot we know and love today. An added fun fact:

Carrots actual don’t give you better eyesight. It’s an urban legend that was derived from a lie spread by British troops to cover up the advancement in Ally radar technology. The Brits spread a lie that all their soldiers ate massive amounts of carrots so they could see better at night. The urban legend still survives today.

What I think is hilarious is tomatoes, eggplant, potatoes, red bell peppers and cayenne peppers, all came from a hybrid of selective breeding while cultivating a plant called Wild Nightshade that has a little controversy of it’s own. Some botanists say it’s poisonous and other’s say… ahhh, maybe not.

One of my favorite fruits looks nothing like it’s wild counterpart… and I mean nothing. The domesticated banana aka the “Cavendish” banana is actually a sterile plant and cannot be grown without the help of man. The wild banana is much smaller, green and has seeds the size of pomegranate seeds. From the outside it looks more like a shiny squash than a yummy big yellow banana.

Grapefruits are a very new fruit which were created from marrying an orange and a pummelo. For all of you that never visited South East Asia, a pummelo or Pomelo is a green pear shaped citrus plant that is indigenous to the area. It doesn’t stop there. The orange that was bred with the pummelo is actually a hybrid of a mandarin and a pummelo… so obviously there is an incestuous relationship between many of the citrus fruits. There are only 4 known wild citrus fruits. Those are: pummelo, mandarin, citron and papeda and everything else came from a hybridization of these four. Now here is where it gets a little dicey… those Ruby Reds or Star Ruby’s are that way from scientists bombarding the fruit with gamma rays, and x-rays. Instead of turning green like the Hulk it turned them a lovely pink.

Marketing and science has changed our whole food system… I don’t claim to have all the answers but I do know that much of what we think we know is usually wrong.

Normally I discuss the idiocy of our society’s ignorance of dieting and fitness related matters. Today I’m venturing off into slightly uncharted territory. Well, not really, but it seemed like a good lead in.

I’m not sure if many of you know, but I boxed (in the ring) from when I was 10 years old until I was 28… then I moved to the Midwest. When I moved, I was very disgruntled with the boxing industry. I believed it was a blood sucking, exploitive, piece of shit industry. Where the pursuit of getting out of the ghetto made the environment ripe for being taken advantage of. Boxing has always been a tainted sport. I remember my gangster uncles talking about who they owned and who would take a dive even in the ’70s. I always wondered what kind of man would take money to taint their reputation. As I grew older I saw it first-hand: people prostituting themselves, hating life just to get a paycheck. I was a kid all brighteyed and bushy tailed not really knowing how life could grind you down.

As with anything I do, in order to become good at it, you need to become a student of it… and a good student I was. I learn everything I can from the people who were pioneers, who paved the roads less travelled so I could walk in their shadows. So it goes for my boxing career. I was an extremely tough white kid, even though I grew up in a very white, suburban, piss ant town in Bergen County, New Jersey. There were only maybe five really tough kids in the county… and I happened to be one of them. I’m not bragging, just trying to show you how f–king pathetic it was.

I had the opportunity to box in the Golden Gloves, Diamond Gloves and spar some of the top contenders in the country, more notably Bobby Czyz and the “Old” George Foreman. (George wasn’t a top contender but it was still cool to get my head almost knocked off by him.) In this pugilistic attempt at making my bones in this world I had many a chance to meet some pretty interesting people. Many of which always compared me to a fighter from the ’40s named Tony Zale. My father, who had also boxed in the Army, was a huge fan of Rocky Graziano. I think more because they shared the same nickname, “Rocky,” than an actual fan. He would always regale the most famous fight in boxing history… or as he knew it.

He would start out by saying, “It was fucking amazing. I was 15 years old and took the long trip out to fucking New Jersey to watch the last fight of Rocky Graziano and Tony Zale on June 10, 1948. I have to tell you, there was no harder puncher than Tony Zale—none. And how hard you hit, Rock… you kinda remind me of him.”

Trust me, I was and would never even be a glint in the eye of Tony Zale, but it was nice to hear from my dad.

The fight story that my father liked to tell was the last of a trilogy of fights that these two very tough, very qualified fighters had engaged in. All three were bloody, vicious displays of the Queensbury Rules with Zale being the victor in two of the three.

Who is Tony Zale?

So why am I telling you this story? Years later back in 2003, I had been the personal trainer of record for the Miss Ohio USA and Miss Michigan USA pageants. During my reign, I encountered a beautiful young woman named Haley Zale. Yep—a young relative of the late Tony Zale. She is actually his grand niece. I met Haley’s parents, Ted and Deb Zale and have been friends ever since. Ted, whose real name is Thad, wrote Tony’s biography, “Tony Zale: The Man of Steel.” Ted and Tony were very close and that brought the families together. After Tony Zale died in 1997, Ted became the keeper of Tony’s estate, from pictures, presidential medals, to the two championship belts he won.

In 1991 Tony Zale was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in Canastota, New York. After his death six years later, the Zale family thought it would be a good idea to “loan” the IBHOF Tony Zale’s Championship Belts as part of Tony Zale’s legacy into the annals of boxing history.

Well, now, my friends that legacy has been stolen. Yes, you heard me correctly, stolen right out from under the International Boxing Hall of Fame’s noses. At 3 a.m. on Nov. 5, some assholes broke in through a window at the IBHOF and stole Tony’s two belts and Carmen Basilio’s (another all-time great boxer) four belts. Basilio hails from Canastota, New York.

This is a huge disgrace for two reasons. 1.) That pieces of shit thought it was a good idea to steal priceless entities that someone not only worked hard for but took actual beatings for. Each one of these belts literally represent the blood and sweat Tony Zale shed to bring them into his possession. 2.) What the hell was the International Boxing Hall of Fame thinking, showing priceless artifacts of a bygone era and not engaging proper security measures. I am astonished and extremely pissed off that one of boxing’s greatest fighters and his family has to deal with a violation of this kind that could have easily been prevented. Shame on you International Boxing Hall of Fame… this is now just another smudge of tarnish in the already tainted history of Boxing.

If you are a fan of boxing, I urge you to help in the search and capture of these pieces of shit. Anyone with even a hint of information, please contact Andy Griffith, ummmm… I mean Police Chief James Zophy directly at 315.697.2240